The recent $660 million settlement in the Catholic Priest sexual abuse scandal in Southern California has left some vindicated and others outraged. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles led by Cardinal Roger M. Mahony settled the case days before Mahony would have had to testify at trial.

The settlement, the largest ever for a case of this type, covered 508 plaintiffs who were sexually abused by Catholic clergy. By many accounts, Mahony himself was able to escape further criminal and civil charges with the settlement even though he was negligent in reporting incident of sexual abuse and child rape to police authorities and chose instead to reassign priests to different locations.

For another week, the nation’s church leaders have been under fire, for misconduct and clergy sexual abuse lawsuits. Embattled and accused polygamist Warrens Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, lost one lawsuit for $8.8 million for misconduct with church assets. Jeffs is also awaiting trial on charges of rape for his role of setting up the marriage of a 14-year-old girl to her cousin.

In San Diego, the Roman Catholic Diocese filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy hours before it was to go to trial for more than 140 cases of clergy sexual abuse. The bankruptcy filing automatically halted the court proceedings for the sexual abuse cases. The Diocese said the filing was necessary for they feared that the rulings in the sexual abuse cases may wipe out the church’s $150 million in assets.

In Alaska, a former Jesuit priest, James Jacobson, has admitted to fathering four children and is accused of acts of sexual assault between 1961 and 1976. Two of Jacobson’s sons, now grown, are suing him for failure to pay child support.

In Jacksonville, Florida a lawsuit was filed against Trinity Baptist Church, alleging the former pastor, Dr. Bob Gray sexually molested children years ago. So far, 20 women and one man have come forward with the allegations and have also implicated the church in a cover-up of the crimes.